Breaking Bad 4.09 Review 'Hermanos'

It’s said a great villain is only as good as his back-story. From the moment he and Los Pollos Hermanos became a fixture both in Walter and Jesse’s lives as well to the story as a whole, the audience hasn’t known very much about Gus Fring. Who is he really? Where did he come from to be so feared? We knew there was a connection to the Mexican drug cartel so that was enough to sate curiosity for a time. In tonight’s episode, ‘Hermanos’, a huge section of Gustavo Fring’s past wasn’t just given exposition dialog, it was given a gorgeously shot bloody flashback scene.

I’m anticipating that this particular episode will have its fair share of detractors. Walt wasn’t in it all that much compared to the past few weeks, and Jesse only had a small handful of scenes in total while Gus Fring from start to finish was the star of the show. And I would watch the Gus Fring show for weeks without ever losing interest. This is a man that even when some of his past is revealed, more questions are raised and that’s the sign of a fully-realized fictional character. Read More...